A wig party in palazzo Gnudi and backstage at Cosmoprof fashion show. [View Full Entry]

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The city of the Byzantine Mosaics. [View Full Entry]

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At the weekend I took part in the "largest student sporting event on the snow", in Bolzano/Bozen. Snowdays 2009 organised by the students of the University of Bolzano for 350 other students from France, Germany and Italy. Activities included midnight sledging, skiing, a snow-volleyball tornament and lots of general celebration. I went with 16 other students from Bologna, and we were decidedly the coolest and best team, as we were beautifully co-ordinated with very fashionable sunglasses (see pictures) and everyone was always very energetic and cheerful despite most of us not sleeping mo [View Full Entry]

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Last weekend i spent a lovely couple of days in Padova (Padua) and Venice for the world famous carnival. Fortunately we departed from Bologna at a very cilvised midday on Saturday, and arrived in Padova with plenty of time to have a tour of the city, lavish dinner and to prepare ourselves for the carnival party that evening. To which over 1000 erasmus students from all over Italy where invited. At the mention of "parties" i feel it my duty to digress a moment and add that I had actually done an exam that Friday, and I do do some work [View Full Entry]

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At 7am on Friday morning 56 very excited (albeit bleary-eyed) international students met at Bologna bus station to drive to the Dolomites for a fun-filled weekend of snow. The journey took less than five hours and passed quickly with the help of “L’era Glaciale” (Ice Age in Italian) and Andrea (head of ESN) working his magic with the microphone. We arrived a little after midday and due to ESN’s undying enthusiasm for “passeggiate” (walks) set out on one almost as soon as we stepped off the coach. We took sledges with us and walked along a track through a [View Full Entry]

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After last night I was afraid I might not be alive to write this., but thankfully I am because it has been a very exciting few days. I had my first Italian Oral exam on Thursday (grammatica latina) which went really well despite the circumstances. I found out at 19h the night before that the date was no longer on Friday, but in fact Tomorrow, at 9 o’clock, and I had been planning to have a whole other day for revision and getting over my cold. It was because there was another general strike on the Friday; i think maybe the [View Full Entry]

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The time is flying and I have only five days until my exam and only 11 until I come home! Amongst much diligent revision *ahem* it has been a lovely week. The highlight had to be Tuesday night, when forty nine erasmus students and I were driven by private bus into the hills to an ice rink surrounded by pine trees with a roof of wood and sides open to the night. The trip was organised by Aegee Bologna, and there was vin brule (mulled wine) and lots of prizes. Over the course of the evening my partner manuel and I [View Full Entry]

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This time I really have so much to say, as due to computer problems (again, *sigh*) I havent had the chance to write for a long time. Lots has happened, many more strikes, both transport and university. I've decided that i need them though, especially the odd university strike, in order to be able to make it to the rest of my 24 hours of lectures each week. Recently I have been spending a lot of time with Italians. The very glamorous Italians everyone thinks Italy is full of: artists, photographers and the models (although sadly no fashion designers as yet). [View Full Entry]

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On Friday I visited Perugia for the annual Chocolate festival with Olivia and Jasmine. We had a great day in spite of spending about 6 hours on trains. Perugia was nice, although I am finding that the more I visit other Italian towns and cities, the more fiercely loyal to Bologna I feel. Possibly because without exception, everytime I have left Bologna, I have had some sort of allergic reaction (a bit like hayfever), which has led me to believe I get withdrawal symptoms… Also, (and yes, some are going to hate me for saying this) I cannot help but think [View Full Entry]

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